A North Merrick man has been arrested for setting a woman’s car on fire last year.
On February 5, 2023, James Luca, 46, of 2216 Van Nostrand Avenue, ignited an explosive device and threw it onto the hood of a female victim’s car, located in the driveway of her Sherman Avenue home. The defendant then fled the scene while the device exploded, causing damage to the hood of the vehicle and the front windshield.
On July 28, 2024 at 11:46 a.m., Luca was lawfully pulled over by First Precinct Police for unrelated Vehicle and Traffic Law Violations. After further investigation, it was determined that he was responsible for the above incident.
Luca was charged with first-degree criminal mischief, third-degree arson, and first-degree criminal possession of a weapon. He will be arraigned on July 29, 2024 at First District Court in Hempstead.